Dual in line package (DIP) switches have been used for many years. They are mounted on a printed circuit board and subjected to flow soldering to solder their pins to appropriate circuit paths on the printed circuit board. Thereafter, the soldered printed circuit board is cleaned to remove flux therefrom.
The DIP switches in undergoing the flow soldering and cleaning operations can become contaminated thereby resulting in switch failures requiring them to be replaced which is time-consuming and costly.